Introducing the National Post’s special Afghanistan project, The Long Road

Illustration by Richard Johnson, National Post

A decade of war in Afghanistan has cost more than 150 Canadian lives and billions of dollars.

It began without a clear idea of the nature of the operation, when Defence Minister Art Eggleton said he would not use the word “war” as he committed troops to Afghanistan in October, 2001. Nor did anyone know how long the task would take although General Ray Henault, the Chief of Defence Staff, pledged, “We do know that we will contribute … as long as it is required.”

That time has now come and the Canadian-led task force in Kandahar is scheduled to leave in July.

This is a key moment in Canadian history.

As the mission finally winds down, it is time to analyze the work that has been done, to get a sense of what Canada has accomplished and what lies ahead.

Uncertainty at the outset of the mission later turned to hope and expectation, but success and failure are rarely far apart in Afghanistan, and even setting goals in such a tempestuous country can be hazardous.

But in order to gauge the mission’s success, we need to consider what the Canadian forces and the international coalition were fighting for and whether or not those goals were achieved, or at least whether we are further along the path to achieving them.

Ridding the country of the Taliban. Establishing law and order. Creating a viable economy to allow people to improve their lives. Building a civil society out of chaos. Bringing about conditions where women can enjoy fundamental freedoms, including having the right to make choices about their lives, whether that involves going to school, or walking alone down a street without fear of recrimination.

At the end of our involvement in this ravaged country, it is critical to go back and examine what Afghanistan quickly became — a war — and what it might yet become. What are the feelings of those involved? Did we achieve goals set during the operation? What does the mission look like as it wraps up? And, most important of all, whether the cost — tallied in so many ways: monetary, in lives, emotion, heartbreak — was worth it all?

They are difficult questions, but necessary ones.

This is the aim of The Long Road, a multimedia project that launches today and runs through the next two weeks, in paper and online.

The project is built around the work and perspectives of two of our most experienced journalists on the ground in Afghanistan, Brian Hutchinson and Richard Johnson; between them, they have been to Afghanistan seven times over a period of years. They returned earlier this spring, embedded with the Canadian forces, to watch and report and illustrate the dying days of the mission.

Their work is bolstered by the work of many others at the Post — our columnists, feature writers, graphic artists, reporters, photographers, online producers, and web journalists. Together, we use a range of stories, analysis, photos, illustrations, graphics, memoirs and historical material to convey the meaning, impact and cost of this mission.

But soldiers, too, have a voice. Those who have fought on the frontlines, experienced the battles, shed their blood, endured the heat and drudgery, and shared the camaraderie of war, also get to tell their tales. Soldiers’ Stories is a unique series of poignant articles written by members of the Canadian Forces who tell of their experiences in their own words.

During his five tours in Afghanistan, Mr. Hutchinson also took some remarkable photographs. One is reproduced every day in Scenes From Our War, a picture and caption that captures a truly memorable moment in a turbulent time.

The battles, the politics and the decisions that helped shape the decade of war will also be laid bare in a detailed timeline.

Our online coverage contains a number of videos shot by Mr. Johnson as he went on patrol with Canadian and Afghan forces. Simply, but effectively, the short films show, not only the every day work of troops, but the lives of the Afghans, and the beauty of the country. A series of photographs by Mr. Johnson supplementing the videos are also featured on the web. All these elements will be updated daily throughout the series’ run, so check back regularly for the latest content.

In 2001, Mr. Eggleton said Canada would be an integral part of the international campaign in Afghanistan. He could not have known the blood and treasure that would be expended.